


His everything

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Bloodbound (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 18:58:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20493677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: She defeated Gaius, and paid the highest price. Adrian is not ready to let her go.





	His everything

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
This is a work written for the weekly prompt thing we have going on on Tumblr! It's combined with a rewrite of Chapter 16 of Bloodbound, book 2, as well as what I think happened after the book ended :D  
Prompt: She was my guiding star and my worst enemy, but that’s a lie.  
Enjoy! <3

His body hit the wall, his vision blurring around the edges. There was ringing in his ears, the pain he felt intensifying when the invisible hand wrapped around his skull, threatening to crush it with its force. A blur before his eyes as she charged at Gaius, gripping the stake firmly in her hand. And a voice, cold and empty.

“Nice try.”

It’s only then, when he’s distracted with Stephanie, that he has a few precious seconds to examine the situation before him. And it’s not good. It’s terrible. His whole body freezes at the sight of Jax’s sword, buried deep into her chest and poking out from her back, guided by Gaius’s hand. His scream of agony fills the room, but does nothing to salvage the situation. He sees her looking down at her chest, then back at her attacker, blood trickling from the corners of her mouth at alarming speed. Her chest is moving rapidly and shallowly, like she is suffocating, panicking.

He’s too far away to see the way her face hardened instantly, her knuckles whitening from the force. The room was quiet, the time seemed to have stopped as all the vampires in the room looked at the only human there, on the verge of death. Her voice cut through the air like a blade nestled in her chest.

“I don’t… try. I… _win._” She seethed through her teeth, panting heavily, fighting against the pain.

With what he was sure was the last bit of her strength, she raised her arm and brought it rapidly back down, mimicking Gaius’s actions, stabbing him right in the heart with a white stake. A sickening sound of flesh being pierced by wood rang through the hall, and in the next second, his hands let her go, a gasp escaping his lips as he falls backwards onto the throne. His hands clutch his chest, his face twisted with the fear of unknown and utter confusion.

“What… what is… _What have you done?”_

His screams seem to be endless, his body trashing as his skin turns grey and cracks everywhere Adrian’s eyes could reach. Gaius’s hands scrabbled at the stake, a last act of desperation, last attempt to save his own life.

“No! NO!” he cried out, his movements stilling as vines sprout out of his mouth, burst from his stomach, cover his eyes. His skin hardened, white as paper, his body freezing, bit by bit. And then he turned into a tree, much like the one that gave powers to Rheya. The same one that killed her, like the one where the stake came from.

A collective sigh of relief flowed through the room, the hand on Adrian’s head disappeared completely, freeing him from the pain it inflicted. An empty sound of knees hitting the ground reached his ears and his head snapped to the side.

“We… did it…” she breathed, turning to her company with a smile, and as soon as she did, her face twisted into a frown. The realization hit her, finally acknowledging that she was not standing on her own two feet anymore. Her body fell forward, a sickening and hollow thug filling the air, her chest covered in her own blood. Adrian heard Jax’s shout, but it seemed distant, like behind a curtain.

“Stephanie!” his lips curled around her name, throwing himself into her direction, gathering her in his arms delicately. She tried to say something, but her mouth was filled with blood, and all he heard was a gurgle of red, thick liquid. “Stephanie, please, no…” he pleaded, all of his focus on her.

His hand hovered over the sword that was still buried in her chest, unsure what to do. Knowing that there was _nothing_ he could do. No matter what happened now, no matter if the blade stayed where it was or was removed, it wouldn’t change anything. Her chest was moving up and down, heavily as she struggled to breathe, pain glooming over her senses. And yet, in all the agony, she smiled at him, her gorgeous, bright smile that he adored so much.

“We… won… Adrian.”

“Yes… You saved us. You saved _all _of us.” He breathed heavily, allowing his forehead to fall against hers, tears streaking down his cheeks, unable to hold them back anymore. “But… you can’t die. I can’t lose you. I can’t”

She raised her hand, covered in blood, shaking from exhaustion. He took it, pressing it against his cheek, turning to kiss her palm tenderly as the tears kept on coming, never ending. They mixed with the blood on her skin, tracing a red path down his face.

“I don’t… want to leave you…” she heaved, her own face wet with tears. Shivers rocked her body, her eyes becoming emptier with each drop of blood leaving her system. “Adrian, I… I’m cold… really… cold…”

His touch on her cheek was the softest thing she has ever felt, like the wings of butterfly. He leaned even further into her, looking into her eyes.

“Adrian…”

“Listen to me, Stephanie.” He whispered, trying to get her to focus on him. “You are the best thing that’s happened to me in two hundred years. You’re the most wonderful, amazing person.” He cut off, taking a shuddered breath, an attempt to steady his voice. “And _I love you._”

Just as words fell from his lips, her eyes fell shut, her body becoming limp in his arms as she lost consciousness. His mind fell into complete panic mode as he felt life slipping away from her, _her_ slipping away from him.

“_I love you, I love you, I love you.”_ he sobbed as he held her in his arms, tears falling onto her face, his lips pressing to her forehead repeatedly. He felt a hand on his shoulder but didn’t turn around. He wouldn’t dare to let her go, but the touch got insistent.

“Adrian…” Kamilah’s voice broke through to his mind, soft and unsure.

“We have to _do_ something. I can’t let her die, I _can’t let her go. _I just got her, Kamilah, how am I supposed to give her away?” he shook, feeling the heat of her body disappearing slowly.

She was his guiding star and his worst enemy, but that was a lie. She was his _everything_, his light in the darkness, his happiness and pain. His _love._ He had to make sure she knows he loves her, he had to see her reaction. He had to bring her back to him.

He had to turn her.

Only then, when a plan formulated in his head, did he turn to look at his sister, his face tired but determined. He didn’t have to say a word, she understood him. Carefully, as delicately as she could, she removed the sword from Stephanie’s body, talking all the time to distract Adrian from the gruesome sight. Like through the mist, he heard Kamilah say to Jax and Lily to go prepare the turning chamber. She then patted his back, saying quietly.

“I’ll leave you two alone. If you need me, I’ll be right outside.” And with that, she was gone.

Adrian looked down at Stephanie. If it wasn’t for the pool of blood, he could have sworn she was sleeping. But she was not, her life was slipping away, and if he didn’t act fast enough, she would be gone.

But he was terrified.

He knew it was a risk, he knew she could turn Feral, and he would have to see her die again. But he was selfish, and he wanted her, needed her to come back. With that in mind, he raised his wrist to his mouth, slashing his skin open to let his blood out. Lowering his hand back down to her body, he let the red liquid trickle down his palm and into her open wound, watching as it closed right before his eyes. Once he was sure that she wouldn’t lose more blood, he sliced his other wrist open, this time putting it by her mouth.

“Come on, Stephie, come on, you can’t leave me now…” he whispered urgently, waiting for her body to react.

At first, nothing happened. She was as still as she was moments before, and he started losing all hope he had left. But then she moved, her lips latched onto his wrist and she started drinking, greedily swallowing his blood as he held her. Adrian felt as though he could breathe again, some of the weight removed from his shoulders. They weren’t out of the woods yet, but a glimmer of hope sprouted in his chest as he stood up, carrying her towards the uncertain future.

\--- --- ---

The next hours would prove to be the worst of his life. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so scared, so unsure of what his future held. He rested her in the coffin, stepping away and turning back as Jax slid the lid over her. He wasn’t able to do it, he wasn’t able to make himself watch her face disappear beneath the heavy panel.

With a heavy sigh, Adrian sat down by the wall, watching the coffin with tired eyes. He hasn’t slept for what felt like ages, but even though he was exhausted, he couldn’t bring himself to leave her side. What if she woke up and he wasn’t there? What if something happened? What-

“Adrian, you should get some sleep. We’ll watch her, we’ll call for you if anything changes.” Kamilah said softly, careful with her words. He shook his head, determination hardening his features.

“No. I have to be here. I’ll be fine, I’ll rest when I’m sure she’s okay.”

“That could take hours, and she wouldn’t want you to do this to yourself. You need to be in your best shape, she’s going to be confused and scared and hungry. She will _need _you, Adrian.” She insisted, talking directly to his need to protect Stephanie. And it worked wonders.

Reluctantly, he stood up, throwing one last, heavy look at the coffin, before turning to his sister.

“If anything happens, come and get me. I’ll be in the pent- what’s left of the penthouse…” he trailed off, sadness passing through his features as he walked away from his companions.

His body hit the bed, eyes closing immediately, the darkness enclosing around him. What he thought would be a nightmare-filled sleep turned out to be a dreamless slumber, his mind too tired to give him any visions. He didn’t know how much time has passed before he heard his name being called, from far away, distant and muffled.

“Adrian, wake up. We’re about to open the coffin.” Kamilah’s voice woke him up, his whole body immediately alert as they ran down to the basement.

Jax and Lily had pensive and stressed looks on their faces when he reentered the chamber. They all stared at each other, one question on their minds. With a soft sigh and a heavy heart, Adrian approached the coffin, placing his hands on the lid.

“Please, Stephie, please…” he muttered under his breath before he moved the lid away. Light bathed the inside, creating shadows on her smooth skin.

Her eyes were open wide, confused and panicked and when she took a breath in, he saw a pair of fangs, standing out from her other teeth. She sat up rapidly, looking around, taking her surroundings in. Her irises were red, her lips were stained with the blood she drank from the cup they placed in the coffin along with her, and her gaze moved from one person to the other. Jax, Kamilah, Lily, and then finally, Adrian.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him, and when he saw her smile, the last piece of weight that threatened to crush and destroy him just mere hours ago was gone. All that was left was relief, calmness, and so much love for the woman in front of him.

She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest as she shook in his embrace. He picked her up, cradling her with his hands as a new batch of tears left his eyes. Stephanie leaned back, confused, looking at him with sparkling eyes.

“Why are you crying? I’m okay, I’m here, you’re not going to lose me.” She whispered, her hands moving to touch his cheeks tenderly. He shook his head, grasping her even tighter and pressing his lips to hers.

The new sensation made her gasp, as though she was taking a very first breath in her life. She smiled, humming happily, deepening the kiss slightly, the rest of the world blurring around her. It was him, and only him.

“I love you.” she confessed when they separated and watched as his face lit up. Hugging her tighter, he pressed his forehead to hers, his voice softer than ever before.

“I love you too. I should have told you that earlier, not when you were slipping away from me. I should have been braver, should have-“

She cut him off with another kiss, this time softer and much gentler. Adrian poured all of his emotions into the way he moved against her, his heart, beating fast, revealing how scared he was. His hands, gripping her tightly, revealing how unable to let her go he was. His muscles, contracting under her touch, revealing just how much control she had over him. His whole body, shivering at their closeness, revealing just how much he wanted her. And his lips, kissing her like it was worth to go to hell for, revealing how much he loved her.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, not so subtly reminding them that they were not alone. They separated with a quiet laugh, Stephanie turning to look at her friends once more.

“It’s good to be back.” She sighed, her red eyes sparkling in the dim light.


End file.
